Make your Monday a little less miserable with this tasty, juicy burger that's not really a burger at all. Well, it is but there is no meat in it. (File photo)

Monday, as we all know, is just about the worst day of the week.

I know I feel that way. I always have.

Even when back in the day when I had a job where my work week ran from Thursday to Monday, thus making Monday my Friday, I still hated it. It’s just something hard-wired into my psyche to hate Mondays.

Tuesdays are almost as bad, but not quite. You can see Wednesday from Tuesday so we've got that going for us.

But Monday, there just isn’t much good to come out of Monday. The first day of the week is even worse this time of year because there is no football waiting at the end of it to make it just a little more palatable.

So in an effort to pump a little life into this otherwise waste of one seventh of the week I’ve decided to try and come up with a few new and innovative ways to make the entire Monday experience just a little more palatable. And by palatable I mean tastier.

There are a number of things we could to make this a better day, but short of going back to bed I’m going to offer a tasty, healthy recipe that will get your work week off to a rousing start.

Now my devotion to burgers is something close to legendary. I do love a good burger and on those occasions when I feel the need to indulge my burger jones, I usually do it in a big, big way. Lots of cheese, tons of good quality meat and all the normal fixings to go on top.

That said, there are times when I feel like doing something really crazy, something way outside of the box. I have a weakness for a certain kind of burger that doesn’t use any meat at all. You read that right, no meat.

Don’t bail out on me now; I haven’t gone completely bonkers. This is a really tasty recipe that even devoted carnivores like me can enjoy.

If you aren’t familiar with Portobello mushrooms, you are in for a treat. They are so rich and packed with flavor that you won’t even notice that there is no meat in this burger.

Trust me on this, I wouldn’t lie to you. And neither would the good folks at meatlessmonday.com where I found this tasty sandwich.

So start off the new work week with a new dining experience. Just let me know Tuesday if you like it.

Portobello Burgers

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed

Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on the portobellos

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 slices fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, roasted (see note)

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped

2 whole-wheat hamburger buns

Instructions:

Preheat a grill to medium high heat or place a grill pan over medium high heat on the stove.

Clean the tops of the Portobello mushrooms by rubbing them with a wet paper towel. Scrape the “gills” out of the underside with a spoon. Brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste and place on the grill or grill pan. Grill for 2-3 minutes, flip and grill the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

Grill the hamburger buns cut side down for about 30 seconds. Return grilled buns to a serving platter and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and chopped tarragon together. Spread lightly on the grilled hamburger bun tops.

On the bun bottom, add a slice of mozzarella. Top with the mushroom caps, then half of the roasted red pepper and complete with the tarragon spread bun top.

Note: Although jars of roasted red bell peppers are readily available in the specialty food section of most grocery stores, if time allows we suggest roasting your own.